Apparatus for cutting out wrappers or binders each composed of at least two leaf portions



D. NEUBE R 3,512,436 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OUT WRAPPERS QR BINDERS EACHMay 19, 1 970 COMPOSED OP AT LEAST TWO LEAF PORTIONS Filed May 24, 19683 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 19, 1970 0.. NEUBER 3,512,436

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OUT WRAPPERS on BINDERS EACH- COMPOSED 0F AT LEASTTWO LEAF PORTIONS Filed May 24, 1968 5 Sheets -Sheet 2 Filed May 24,1968 May 19, 1,970 lb. NEUBER' r 1 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OUT WRAPPERS QRBINDERS BAG COMPOSED' 0F AT LEAST TWQ LEAF PORTIONS w 3 Sheets-Sheet 5United States Patent M U.S. Cl. 83-100 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An apparatus in cigar making machines for cutting a wrapperor binder composed of several leaf portions, comprising several cuttingdies movable stepwise in a closed path and adapted for cutting said leafportions, and a suction head adapted to collect, in succession, saidleaf portions in proper relationship for forming said wrapper or binderconfiguration on said suction head.

The present invention is concerned with an apparatus in cigar makingmachines for cutting a binder or wrapper composed of several leafportions positioned in a predetermined, mutual orientation, saidapparatus being provided with a number of cutting dies which are movablein a closed path past a leaf applying station, a leaf cutting stationand a leaf delivery station.

An apparatus of this type is described in the Swiss patent specificationNo. 350,235, and is provided with a pillrality of cutting dies which aremounted on a table which rotates stepwise about a vertical shaft. Theapparatus is manned at the leaf applying station by two workmen, ofwhich the one positions a first tobacco leaf on one portion of a cuttingdie and the other, subsequent to the cutting die having been moved onestep, positions a second tobacco leaf on the remaining portion of thesame cutting die, with the necessary degree of overlapping between theleaves. Because the apparatus is manned by two workmen it must, quitenaturally, be given impractically large dimensions. Another disadvantageis that the amount by which the leaves overlap is dependent on the shapeof the leaf portions used and their position on the cutting die. The useof binders or wrappers which comprise two or more leaf portions, whichare usually gummed together, is primarily motivated by the wish to useleaf halves taken from small tobacco leaves, which are much cheaper toobtain than the tobacco leaves usually used for wrapping and binders butwhich, nevertheless, are Often of a higher quality. Because of thepointed ends of the leaf halves the visible joint of a leaf produced bythe known apparatus, subsequent to winding the leaf on a cigar bunch, isdirected, more or less at right angles to the longitudinal direction ofthe cigar, which makes it very conspicuous to the eye, namely as a ringaround the cigar.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus withsmall dimensions, which can easily be combined with conventional bunchwrapping and cigar wrapping machines, and which can be operated by asingle operant. The apparatus shall also be so designed that apractically unnoticeable joining edge can be obtained.

This has been achieved by means of the invention, in which the cuttingdies comprise at least one group of cutting dies each designed to cutits respective leaf portion, and arranged one after the other in thedirection of movement of the cutting dies, and in which a leaf portionscollecting means is adapted to receive in succession at the leafdelivering station the leaf portions in- 3,512,436 Patented May 19, 1970tended to form a binder or wrapper and to receive said portions in aposition relative to the cutting dies which is determined by thepredetermined, mutual orientation of said leaf portions. When using theapparatus according to the invention the joining edge can be given anydesired slope whatsoever with relation to the longitudinal axis of theleaf. Furthermore, for practical reasons it is not possible to gum thejoint satisfactorily in the apparatus according to the aforementionedpatent specification, since the second leaf portion must be placedexactly in posiiton on the cutting die manually. Contrarily, when usingthe apparatus according to the invention the j int can be gummed withoutdifliculty since the amount by which the leaf portions overlap and theposition of the joint are always constant. It has been found that twosmall leaves can be quite easily positioned on the cutting dies in thetime required to position a large leaf on a die, owing to the fact thatthe time consuming step of accurately fitting the leaves to the cuttingdies is obviated in the case of the invention.

The leaf portions collecting surfaces and the cutting dies can bearranged in the apparatus according to the invention in a number ofdifferent ways. A simple embodiment of the invention which functionswith precision is characterized in that the leaf portions collectingmember is provided with a plurality of suction heads presentinghorizontal leaf portions collecting surfaces, the suction heads beingmounted on a stepwise rotating rotor provided with a vertical shaft, andis further characterized in that the cutting dies are mounted on afurther, stepwise rotating rotor provided with a horizontal shaft andsituated above the path of the leaf portions collecting surfaces. Toenable the vertical rotor to be stepped through the same number ofdegrees during each of its movement stages the cutting dies disposedaround the circumference of the horizontal rotor should be mutuallydisplaced in the longitudinal direction of the rotor in correspondenceto the predetermined mutual orientation of the leaf portions on the leafportions collecting surface.

The invention is illustrated in the accompaning drawings, in which FIG.1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically the function when manufacturing a wrapperand transferring the same to a leaf carrier by means of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1, and wherein only the most important components forthese operations are shown; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modification of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with a table 1 on whichtwo brackets 2, 3 are mounted. Positioned between the :brackets is ashaft 4 (FIG. 2) on which a rotor 5 is rotatably mounted driven instages by a transmission (not shown). The rotor 5 presents anessentially square cross-section and positioned on its four sides aretwo groups of cutting dies 6, 7 so that two leaf portions are cut foreach group, said leaf portions together forming a wrapper. The cuttingdies are provided with the projectable plungers 19 provided with suctionholes. Rotatably mounted at the side of the rotor 5 is a rotor 8provided with a vertical rotation shaft and driven in 90 stages by atransmission (not shown) so that the shaft is stepped through one stageat every second advancement of the rotor 5. The rotor 8 is provided witha tubular hub presenting an upper flange 9 and a lower flange 10, inwhich four pairs of vertical rods 11 are mounted. Mounted on the rods 11are four, radially outwardly directed arms 12 carrying suction head 13;the said arms being mounted for movement vertically and presenting anangle of 90 between each other. The upper end of the the rotor isrotatably mounted in a bracket 14.

When manufacturing a wrapper a first leaf half is placed on one of thecutting dies, e.g. 7, when said die is in an upwardly directed position(FIG. 2) and is held fast thereon by means of suction. Subsequent to therotor 5 rotating through 90 in the direction indicated by the arrow thecutting die 7 adopts a vertical position (FIG. 1) and a first leafportion is cut with the help of a carriage provided with cutting rolls16 and slidably mounted on two frame rods, the carriage being pulled tothe right in FIG. 1 past the cutting die 7 by means of a rod 17. At thesame time a second leaf half is placed on the now upwardly directedcutting die 6. Subsequent to further rotation of the rotor 5 through 90in the direction indicated by the arrow a second leaf portion is cut bymeans of the cutting rolls 16, by moving the carriage 15 to the left inFIG. 1 past the cutting die 6- (FIG. 2). At the same time the suctionacting on the leaf portion through the suction holes in the nowdownwardly directed cutting die 7 is interrupted and a suction head 13situated directly below the cutting die is lifted into abutment with theleaf portion, which during rotation of the rotor 5 is projected outsomewhat from the cutting die in a conventional manner by means of a camdisc 18 securely mounted on the shaft 4 and which, by means of a pushrod (not shown), in this position actuates the plunger 19 situated inthe downwardly directed cutting die 7. The suction head 13 is lifted bymeans of a push rod 20- and the requisite vacuum in the suction head isobtained via flexible suction hoses 21 or telescopically extensiblesuction lines or the like connected to passages in the arms 12. Thevacuum in the cutting dies 6, 7 is obtained from a suction opening 22situated in the bracket 2 and which, upon rotation of the rotor 5, isconnected cyclically with the suction holes of the cutting dies viaarcuate slots 23 disposed in one end wall of the rotor, and acorresponding arrangement is provided for the usual suction holes ofcutting beds surrounding the dies, through which holes, however, thesuction effect is continued until the position of rotation before theleaf applying station has been reached. Other solutions are alsoconceivable for this purpose, for instance such as those disclosed inthe British patent specification No. 946,734.

A new leaf is placed on the now upwardly directed cutting die 7, thepush rod 20 lowers the suction head 13 with the leaf portion attachedthereon, and the future joint edge of said leaf portion is coated withan adhesive by means of a pivotable adhesive applicating means 24, whichsupplies adhesive in a manner known per se from a container 25 providedwith means 26 capable of being raised and lowered and intended to removeadhesive from the container 25 and transfer it to the applicator means24, and the rotor 5 is rotated through a further 90. The suction head 13positioned under the rotor 5 is re-lifted by means of the push rod 20and the leaf portion present on the now downwardly directed cutting die6 is picked up by the suction head in the same manner described for thefirst leaf portion. The cutting dies 6 and 7 are displaced relative toone another in the longitudinal direction of the rotor 5 so that thefirst leaf portion lying on the suction head together with its adhesivecoated edge is pressed against the edge of the second leaf portionsecurely held on the plunge of the cutting die 6 and presentingapproximately a 5 mm. overlap, whereby a satisfactory adhesive joint isobtained.

The suction head 13 is then lowered and, subsequent to placing a newleaf half in position on the upwardly directed cutting die 6, the rotor5 is rotated a further 90 simultaneously as the rotor 8 is also rotated90 in the direction indicated by the arrow (counter clockwise),whereafter the described function is repeated for manufacturing a newwrapper on the next suction head 13. Meanwhile the adhesive joint on thefinished wrapper is allowed to dry, possibly by supplying heat in somesuitable manner. When the new wrapper is finished the rotor 8 is rotateda further 90 and the previous, finished wrapper is positionedimmediately below a wrapper carrier 27 associated with a cigar wrappingmachine. In this position the suction head 13 is lifted by means of apush rod 28, whilst the vacuum in the suction head is reduced or cutoff, up towards the wrapper carrier and presses the wrapper against thebottom surface of the same, which in a known manner picks up thewrapper, whereafter the suction head 13 is relowered.

Because the task of positioning the small leaf halves on the cuttingdies 6, 7 requires considerably less concentration on the part of theoperator as compared with fitting a leaf half on a cutting die for awhole wrapper it is suitable to position in the immediate vicinity ofthe operator station the discharge end of conveyor 29 for dischargingthe finished cigars so that the finished cigars 30 can be chacked by theoperator.

The modification illustrated in FIG. 3 differs from the apparatusaccording to FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the suction heads 13 on which theleaf portions are gummed to form a wrapper have been arranged on thehorizontal rotor 5, while the cutting dies 6, 7 have been placed on thevertical rotor 8, which must therefor be adapted to be advanced twiceper 90 movement of the rotor 5. In this instance the arms 12 aresecurely attached to the rotor 8 since the transfer of the cutout leafportions to the suction heads 13 can be effected solely by means of theplungers 19, which in this instance are actuated by push rods in amanner corresponding to the way in which the arms 12 of the embodimentdescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 were actuated by the push rod.20. This solution affords a structural simplification and permits a morecomfortable working height for the operator without restricting the legroom under the table 1.

The invention is, of course, not restricted to the shown embodiments butcan be modified within the scope of the following claims. The movementsof the cutting dies and the suction heads in closed paths may, forinstance, alternatively be caused by using endless belts.

If the wrapper carrier 27 in the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2can be adapted to pick up the wrapper when the suction head 13 islocated in the lower position said suction heads may be secured to theflange 10, whereby the length of stroke of the plunges 19, however, mustbe increased and, moreover, actuated by means of a suitable mechanismwhile the rotor 5 remains stationary instead of the stationary cam disc18. Furthermore, two apparatus according to the invention can bearranged to feed alternately a rapid cigar wrapping apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus in cigar making machines for cutting a wrapper or bindercomposed of several leaf portions positioned in a predetermined, mutualorientation, said apparatus being provided with at least one group ofcutting dies for cutting the different leaf portions of a wrapper orbinder, means to move said cutting dies in succession stepwise in aclosed path past a leaf applying station, a leaf cutting station and aleaf delivery station, means to collect said leaf portions at said leafdelivery station, means to position said leaf portions collecting meansin proper relationship to the positions of said cutting dies at saidleaf delivery station with respect to said predetermined, mutualorientation of said leaf portions, and means to move said leaf portionscollecting means from said leaf delivery station after collection of theleaf portions forming a complete wrapper or binder.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of suctionheads presenting horizontal leaf portions collecting surfaces, astepwise rotating rotor having a vertical shaft and supporting saidsuction heads, and a further stepwise rotating rotor having a horizontalshaft, said further rotor supporting said cutting dies and beingsituated above the path of leaf portions collecting surfaces.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the leaf portionscollecting means is provided with a drive mechanism adapted, whilecollecting the leaf portions belonging to one and the same wrapper orbinder, to displace the suction head situated below the horizontal rotorin a vertical direction without rotating the vertical rotor, and thecutting dies on the horizontal rotor, which dies are distributed aroundthe circumference of the rotor, are mutually displaced in thelongitudinal direction of the rotor in correspondance to thepredetermined mutual orientation of the leaf portions on the leafportions collecting surface.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a stepwise rotatingrotor having a vertical shaft which rotor supports said cutting dies,and a further stepwise rotating rotor having a horizontal shaft andbeing situated above the path of said cutting dies which further rotoris provided with a plurality of suction heads presenting leaf portionscollecting surfaces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,157,536 5/1939 Halstead 83-100X 2,956,567 10/ 1960 Wheeler 83100 X 3,222,967 12/ 1965 Godfrey 83100FOREIGN PATENTS 1,260,450 3/ 1961 France.

946,734 1/1964 Great Britain. 350,235 11/ 1960 Switzerland.

WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

